1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a towing head assembly mounted on the tow bar of a towing vehicle and being specifically adapted to engage and innerconnect the landing gear of aircraft to the towing vehicle for movement and travel of the aircraft to an intended location.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,098 to Samuel Kalmanson, is directed to a head assembly for a towing device for use in connecting a tow bolt of an aircraft landing gear to a towing vehicle. The assembly of the above-noted invention includes a body having a central operating opening therethrough and a communicating downwardly opening recess for hooked-up engagement with the towing bracket of the aircraft. A cam member is swingable or rotatably carried in the operating chamber with a portion thereof adapted for rotation into and out of closing relation of the downwardly facing recess to captivate a towing bracket of an aircraft. Towing head assemblies of the type set forth in the above-noted patent are designed to accomplish a secure clamped engagement with the towing bracket or tow pin associated with the landing gear of the aircraft and the towing vehicle. This is done to accomplish towing travel of the aircraft while ensuring damage is not done to the aircraft landing gear or any other portion thereof. While the structure disclosed in the above-noted Kalmanson patent is operable and efficient for its intended function, the present invention as described in greater detail hereinafter, constitutes an improvement thereof. More specifically, one common problem associated with towing aircraft utilizing head assemblies and towing vehicles of the type set forth herein is the normal wear and tear and the resulting deterioration in size and/or shape of the tow pin mounted on the landing gear of the aircraft. It is important that a firm gripping engagement occur between the towing head and the bracket regardless of the degree of wear or change in dimension or configuration, due to wear, such bracket or tow pin may have undergone.
Accordingly, there is a need in this industry for a towing head assembly having an adjustable feature thereon. A cam portion of a preferred structural embodiment may have an adjusting feature thereon such that an engaging, camming and clamping surface may effectively be regulated in its position relative to the tow pin to ensure a firm grasping engagement of the confronting surface of the cam member with the tow pin. This will ensure the tow pin being removably clamped in a reliable manner between such adjustable camming surface and a remainder of the tow head serving to grip the tow pin of the aircraft.